Verrio Tour

What is a Verrio Tour?

A Verrio Tour is an opportunity to visit Christ’s Hospital and enjoy an historic guided tour of the buildings and grounds. The tour takes its name from the wonderful painting by Antonio Verrio which hangs in the School’s dining hall.

Christ’s Hospital is one of the oldest boarding schools in England. In 1552 the young King Edward VI responded to an impassioned sermon on the needs of London’s poor, following which he wrote to the Lord Mayor of London, to set in motion charitable measures to help.

Christ’s Hospital was consequently founded in the old buildings vacated by the Grey Friars in Newgate Street and provided food, clothing, lodging and an education for fatherless children and other poor mens children.

In November 1552, Christ’s Hospital opened its doors to 380 pupils and within a year, the number had increased to over 500.

Christ’s Hospital moved from the City of London to Horsham in 1902 and is situated in stunning Sussex countyside. The School has over 820 boarding pupils with an equal number of boys and girls, and takes day pupils.

Link to our timeline

Verrio Tours offer an opportunity to tour the School’s magnificent buildings, to visit the museum, watch the School Band (weather permitting/term time) and take a tour.

A highlight of the tour is The Verrio, an eighty-six foot long painting, by Antonio Verrio. The painting commemorates the foundation of the Royal Mathematical School at CH in 1673. Known, simply, as The Verrio, it has been a dominant feature in the Dining Hall at Horsham and its two predecessor Great Halls in London for over 320 years and, along with an extensive collection of the Hospital’s greatest servants and benefactors, has long watched over generations of pupils and staff as they dined.

Tours are available on Mondays; by prior arrangement only.

For further information and to book a tour please contact

For further information and to book a tour please call the Christ’s Hospital museum on 01403 247444 or email: chmuseum@christs-hospital.org.uk

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Order our prospectus

Our School Prospectus provides an introduction to life at Christ’s Hospital. You can request a printed copy which includes an application form by completing the form and/or you can download a pdf of the prospectus.